Self-Motivating through a “Story Telling” Psychosocial Therapy Approach

MAKASSAR (June 22nd 2020) - Growing self-confidence is a very important social capital for persons with disabilities to achieve success in life. Story Telling is one of the psychosocial therapy models that the “Wirajaya” Center for Social Rehabilitation of Persons with Physical Disabilities (BRSPDF) in Makassar has tried to grow up self-confidence and at the same time become motivation for persons with disabilities to achieve life independence in the future.

Psychosocial therapy using the Story Telling method is carried out online by presenting several alumni of “Wirajaya” Center who have had successful careers in the business world to share inspirational stories for Service Recipients in the Center. Alumni of “Wirajaya” Center who had attended shared stories including Khaerunnisa, an alumni of 2018 who had successfully run an independent tailoring business in Sinjai Regency. In addition, there were also Yudistira Yusuf an alumni of 2019 who currently opened a Disability Beauty House (make-up business) in Palopo City, and Usman Hadi, an alumni of 2019 who has worked in one of the well-known Ritail businesses in Makassar City respectively in South Sulawesi Province.

With the theme "Career as Disability? Sure You Can", this self-motivated activity was carried out in a more cheerful atmosphere, where the Service Recipients in the Center also looked enthusiastic, marked by the many and varied questions asked.

This Psychosocial Therapy activity was initiated by a Social Worker (Peksos) at the “Wirajaya” Center, where this activity was deliberately designed to make Service Recipients more relaxed when sharing experiences with alumni. It is hoped that sharing story, knowledge and experiences of alumni in the world of Work and Business can be useful for Service Recipients to be more mature in planning to achieve their future, said the Head of the Social Rehabilitation Service Section of the "Wirajaya” Center, Sitti Kalsum.

Even Sitti Kalsum also highly appreciates the innovation of Social Rehabilitation services carried out by the Social Workers in the Center. The Social Workers at “Wirajaya” Center continuously present a model of Social Rehabilitation services amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Even though it is in a pandemic circumstances, Social Worker must be present to provide Social Rehabilitation services for people with disabilities. Even Social Worker constantly provides motivation and encouragement for people with disabilities.

Meanwhile, Rosniati Hamzah, one of the Social Worker at the “Wirajaya” Center, during the event was also giving motivation and encouragement for persons with disabilities. "The opponent that is most difficult for us to beat is ourselves. Therefore, from now on, normalized ourselves with good habits such as discipline, study diligently, we fight laziness from ourselves, so we are not opponents, but become friends for ourselves in reaching out dreams," Rosniati leave a message to the Service Recipients in the Center.